1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ordnance devices, and particularly to a rolling ordnance device that autonomously estimates its position relative to a reference coordinate system.
2. Description of the Related Art
It would be highly desirable for field combat operations to have a rolling bomb that can operate in a constrained space, and yet be non-injurious to friendly personnel. Ideally, this bomb could be tossed in the air, rolled or slid on the ground, tossed, air dropped or rolled into caves, bunkers, and the like, with the assurance that it would not detonate until a specific motion criterion has been met. Additionally, the bomb should be simple, easy to operate, and not actively propelled by rockets, jets, and the like. That is to say, the bomb should be more like a grenade with awareness of its own motion, than like a guided missile with target seeking capability. Such a bomb would be ideally suited for missions where there may not be a target signature to acquire, but there may be physical obstacles between combat personnel and a high value target having a high probability locus, such as, for example a target located deep within a cave having multiple layers above the target. Multiple bomb spherical rolling ordnance, such as the present invention, could be rolled into the cave, each bomb taking out successive layers of protection above the intended target, until the final one reaches the target.
German patent DE 3,345,362 published June, 1985, discloses a mine having an explosive charge and also having rotational and translational acceleration devices, i.e., jet engines, to establish spinning and rolling motion. The spinning is provided to acquire a target signature, and the rolling is provided to roll the mine towards the target after target acquisition. Such a device however would be ill suited for the aforementioned cave scenario, because the target does not necessarily reveal a signature, and intermediate levels between personnel and the target must be taken out first.
Similarly, German patent DE 3,345,363 published June, 1985, discloses a spherical mine with logic controlled internal jet engines for propulsion and a proximity sensor for explosion on contact with a tank. Clearly, for the same reasons as mentioned above, the disclosure in patent DE 3,345,363, unlike the present invention, does not adequately address the cave target scenario.
Additionally, German patent DE 3,738,437 published June, 1989, discloses a spherical rolling mine that is cylindrical before deployment and is converted to the spherical shape after being launched or fired. The present invention, unlike the reference, does not require a shape transformation to the spherical form before deployment.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a spherical rolling explosive ordinance solving the aforementioned problems is desired.